<p>This study looked at socio-economic and political constraints on constitutional reform in Swaziland, an independent state with a fully autonomous government that falls under the Monarch who is Head of State. Swaziland maintains strong economic and trading links with South Africa and also maintains such ties with other states, especially in the Southern African Development Community region. Up untill 1973, the country's constitution was Westminister based. This was evoked and replaced with a system designed to facilitate the practice of both western and traditional styles of government. This system incorporated the system known as Tinkhundla and provides for the people to elect candidates to be their parliamentary representatives for specific constituencies.</p>

<p>The subject of this research paper is the analysis of the recent national and provincial legislation on traditional leadership. Within the new constitutional dispensation the legislature had to retain traditional leadership pursuan to Chapter 12 of the Consstitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It was unclear how to change institutions that are based on customary / aw at the same time, recognize them as they are. The legislative branch of government provided its answer through the national and provincial Acts. Precisely the answer forms part of the research paper.</p>

Teilw. zugl.: @Cambridge, Univ., Diss., 2004. / Literaturverz. S. [593] - 613.

Univ., Diss.--Cambridge, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. [593] - 613.

Inaug.-Diss.--Cologne. / Vita.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 166-174). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

In South Africa, it is evident that women are uniformed of their essential human rights, especially their inheritance and succession rights, including protection of such rights. Human rights are international norms that protect individuals everywhere from the states’ political, legal and social abuse. Human rights are entitlements which human beings have in order to enhance their human condition. They are the fundamental entitlements or minimum standards to be met for individual so that they live with dignity. This study focused on discrimination of women under customary law in South Africa with reference to inheritance and succession. The study validated the findings of other researchers on the impact of cultural practices on women’s rights to inheritance and succession. In addition the findings revealed that efforts t eliminate traditional practices, should foremost come from men and from communities that hold such destructive attitudes towards women. The outcomes and recommendations of this study would assist the government and other institutions to adopt effective measures to empower women and especially educate them so that they can assert and defend their human rights

The purpose of this study is to access the viability of traditional African courts in a future legal dispensation in South Africa. The research method used is a study of literature, court decisions and relevant statutes. The development of indigenous courts in South Africa is broadly outlined. As an analogy to the South African court system, the courts of Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana are used to illustrate the dual systems of courts. Rapid urbanisation is discussed to illustrate that despite the increasing urbanisation, traditional values remain inherent to South African Blacks. The salient features of indigenous courts are analysed to facilitate the development of reform measures that have to be implemented so that the courts can meet the challenge of the future. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.M.

This study examines the role of customary courts in the delivery of justice in South Sudan. In doing so, it analyses the legal background, the hierarchy and composition of the customary courts. The considerations behind the constitutional recognition of the customary law courts in the current constitutional dispensation and the jurisdiction of customary courts are limited to customary matters and only criminal cases with a customary interface. It is noted that the customary Judges do not only exercise judicial functions but also play executive and legislative functions which contravene the constitutional principle of separation of powers. Reconciliation and compensation are noted as the major principles applied in the customary law courts. The major concern is that most practices in the customary law courts violate fundamental human rights. / Public, Constitutional and International Law / LL. M.

Traditional knowledge and legal regime of access and benefitsdistributionThis work highlights interests around traditional knowledge access of local and indigenous communities stressing the need to establish institutions involved in order to give an efficient legal answer within the political, scientific and economic framework. The author critically reviews ideas developed about this issue among international, regional and local spheres formulating the thesis of application of customary law, in particular about prior informed consent and benefits-sharing. Without disregard present conflicts management and those envisaged in the near future, implications and scenarios where State and international organizations determination must face this subject are addressed. / La ponencia pone en evidencia los intereses entorno al acceso a los conocimientos tradicionales de las comunidades indígenas y locales y marca la necesidad de definir los institutos en juego para dar una respuesta legal eficiente en el marco político, científico y económico. Pasa revista, críticamente, a los conceptos que han sido desarrollados entorno de la temática en los ámbitos internacionales, regionales y locales, y desarrolla la tesis de la aplicación del derecho consuetudinario en especial en lo atinente al consentimiento fundamentado previo y la distribución de beneficios. Sin desdeñar el tratamiento de los conflictos planteados, y los que se avizoran en un inminente futuro, se abordan las implicaciones y escenarios en los que la determinación de los Estados y de los organismos internacionales han de enfrentar en la materia.